


Good Advice

by laurus_nobilis



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-05
Updated: 2012-12-05
Packaged: 2017-11-20 08:38:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/583382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurus_nobilis/pseuds/laurus_nobilis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm the Fire Lord! People expect me to know what I'm doing."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Advice

"I don't know what to do."

Iroh poured two cups of tea and offered one to his nephew before sitting down in front of him.

"Ah, that is a quite natural state of mind," he said. "Especially for a boy your age."

"But I'm not _just_ a boy my age! I'm the Fire Lord! People expect me to know what I'm doing."

He buried his head into his arms, the very picture of frustration. Or perhaps, his uncle thought, of teenage drama. Not that he would ever say that aloud - that would be very counterproductive indeed.

"Zuko. No one expects you to know _everything_ all the time. There is a reason why you have ministers and advisors."

"That's the problem! They don't trust me." Zuko looked up at last, frowning. "They don't think I'll be a good ruler. It's like they don't even bother _trying_ to help."

"And what do _you_ think?"

At first, his nephew just glared at him, as he often did when receiving a new question instead of a straight answer. But then his expression softened, and he stopped to think about it for a few moments. Iroh didn't interrupt him. He sipped his tea in silence, waiting to see what happened next.

"I don't know if I'll be a good ruler," he replied after a while. "I'll... all I can do is try my best, I guess. But if they want someone just like my father or my grandfather, well, they're not going to get that."

"Ah!" Iroh exclaimed cheerfully. "Then you _do_ know what to do."

Zuko just sighed.

"... but I still don't know _how_ to do it. I have no idea of how to make them understand that I'm not going to start another war. Fighting is all they know about. It's what our Nation has being doing for a hundred years. And I don't-"

He stopped himself abruptly and looked away. It was Iroh's turn to sigh, now. His nephew had never been one for subtlety.

"Yes?"

"I don't even have any experience," Zuko muttered. He stared at his cup of tea. "I mean, not in the scale they have. I've never lead an army to win a proper battle, like they have. And they don't _listen_ to me."

"You have far more important experiences than that. Even at your age..."

" _I_ know that!" he interrupted. "But how do I get it through their heads?"

"With courtesy, to begin with," Iroh said. The boy glared it him yet again, which prompted him to become serious.

"Look at me, Zuko. I used to be a great general. I won many battles for the Fire Nation, back in my day. But when I lost Ba Sing Se, that was the one battle that everyone remembered." He paused for a moment and smiled. "And yet here I am now, giving the Fire Lord advice."

"So I should... change my advisors?"

Iroh had to try very, very hard not to laugh at his confused nephew right then. That would most definitely ruin the solemn mood.

"If you want," he conceded. "But what I'm trying to tell you is that you didn't come here looking for a soldier. You wanted experience. And _you_ have more experience about the _real_ world than all those advisors put together. You have seen and done things they've never dreamed of. You have grown, Zuko. The way to show that," he went on, anticipating the inevitable question, "is with _confidence_."

For the first time that day, Zuko smiled. And he knew his work was done.

"Thank you, Uncle," he said. "Are you _sure_ you don't want to be an official advisor?"

"Ah, I am just an old man with a tea shop," Iroh said. "But you can always come here for a nice chat."


End file.
